![Agrifirm Exlan, Poort van Veghel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Agrifirm_Exlan%2C_Poort_van_Veghel.JPG)
Agrifirm is a
cooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-contro ...
enterprise in which more than 10.000 Dutch
farmers and
horticulturalists
Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...
have combined their
purchasing power
Purchasing power is the amount of goods and services that can be purchased with a unit of currency. For example, if one had taken one unit of currency to a store in the 1950s, it would have been possible to buy a greater number of items than would ...
. Agrifirm in its current form was founded in 2010 due to a successive
merger of regional cooperatives. The enterprise operates as a link for farmers being currently active throughout the entire
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. The Coöperative also has business units in Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Ukraine, Brazil, Uruguay and China. The head office is located in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
History
Agrifirm till 2011
![Agrifirm](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Agrifirm.jpg)
Agrifirm grew out from the Cooperative Agricultural Bank and Trading Company (''Coöperatieve Landbouwersbank en Handelsvereeniging'') established on 13 April 1909 with the purpose of taking advantage of joint purchasing and sales of agricultural products and equipment. The office was located in Meppel. Later on, it was expended further with a feed mill, grain silos and fertilizer sheds. Besides, it operated as a bank as well as a plant for artificial
insemination
Insemination is the introduction of sperm into a female’s reproductive system for the purpose of impregnating, also called fertilizing, the female for sexual reproduction. The sperm is introduced into the uterus of a mammal or the oviduct of a ...
.
The original function of the company was expended due to several mergers in the 1960s and 1970s. At that time the name of the company was Cooperative Agricultural Bank Meppel (''Coöperatieve Landbouwersbank Meppel - CLM''). In the 1980s the bank division became an independent operating unit as Rabobank Meppel and surroundings. In 1990 there was a merger among CLM, Aceco (Groningen) and CAF (Leeuwarden) resulting in the Purchase and Sales Cooperative Meppel (''Aan- en verkoop Coöperatie Meppel - ACM''). The "old" Agrifirm - which has covered two-thirds of the Netherlands in terms of providing agricultural products and services (excluding Southern Netherlands) - was established due to the merger between ACM and Cavo Latuco (in Utrecht) in 2002. Since 1 June 2010 Agrifirm as it now exists following the merger between the Agrifirm cooperative (in Meppel) and Cehave Landbouwbelang (in
Veghel
Veghel () is a town and a former municipality in the southern Netherlands. On 1 January 2017 Veghel, together with Schijndel and Sint-Oedenrode, merged into a new municipality called Meierijstad creating the largest municipality of the provi ...
) – the latest had the jurisdiction in Southern Netherlands. The head office is located in Apeldoorn.
Cehave Landbouwbelang till 2011
![Agrifirm Feed B](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Agrifirm_Feed_B.V._-_CHV_LBB%2C_Veghel_-_1.JPG)
The agricultural cooperative organization of Cehave Landbouwbelang (CHV LBB) was formed by the merger of Cehave and Landbouwbelang in 2000. Both companies covered a different region: Cehave was active in
North Brabant
North Brabant ( nl, Noord-Brabant ; Brabantian: ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the w ...
while Landbouwbelang operated in
Limburg
Limburg or Limbourg may refer to:
Regions
* Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium
* Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands
* Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...
. The headquarters of the cooperative organization was located in
Veghel
Veghel () is a town and a former municipality in the southern Netherlands. On 1 January 2017 Veghel, together with Schijndel and Sint-Oedenrode, merged into a new municipality called Meierijstad creating the largest municipality of the provi ...
.
In 2007 the cooperative had approximately 5300 Dutch members and owned a number of companies mainly active in the field of animal feed production and trade. With 1500 employees Cehave Landbouwbelang operated in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Hungary and China and was continuously growing further during years. In 2010 CHV LBB merged with Agrifirm and the "new" Agrifirm as it is now was established. However CHV LBB lost its name during the merger, the old logo still exists with the new Agrifirm slogan of "Link to Success".{{citation needed, date=August 2011
Core activities
Agrifirm provides products and services in the following areas:
*Arable farming: seeds, fertilizers and pesticides. In addition, being a cooperative, Agrifirm acquires greater strength in various areas such as the purchase and sales of products.
*Horticulture (bulbs, vegetables and fruit): fertilizers, pesticides and industrial products.
*Livestock
**
Cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...
sector: feed for cattle and goats.
**
Poultry
Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, ...
sector: feed for broilers, laying hens, etc.
**
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
sector: feed for piglets, cows and pigs.
*
Organic farming
Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and re ...
*Services seek to ensure farmers and horticulturalists about the continuity of their business within the current economic and social development.
Locations
The head office is situated in
Apeldoorn
Apeldoorn (; Dutch Low Saxon: ) is a municipality and city in the province of Gelderland in the centre of the Netherlands. It is located about 60 km east of Utrecht, 60 km west of Enschede, 25 km north of Arnhem and 35 km south of Zwolle. Th ...
, Netherlands. Agrifirm operates in several locations including many factories: the plant in
Meppel produces poultry feed; in
Veghel
Veghel () is a town and a former municipality in the southern Netherlands. On 1 January 2017 Veghel, together with Schijndel and Sint-Oedenrode, merged into a new municipality called Meierijstad creating the largest municipality of the provi ...
and
Zwolle
Zwolle () is a city and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Overijssel and the province's second-largest municipality after Enschede with a population of 130,592 as of 1 December 2021. Zwolle is on ...
there are plants which produce pork feed; the plants in
Utrecht
Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...
,
Oss and
Drachten produce cattle feed while plants located in
Maasbracht
Maasbracht (; li, Brach ) is a town in the southeastern Netherlands. It was a separate municipality until 1 January 2007, when it became a part of the new municipality of Maasgouw.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1265 as "de Bragth ...
and
Wanssum produce both pork feed and poultry feed (particularly laying hen feed). However, there are also numerous plants outside of the Netherlands located in other European countries namely in Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Ukraine, Brazil, and Uruguay.
Welkoop Stores
Due to Winkel BV and the participation in Agri Retail, Agrifirm has investments in approximately 60 Welkoop Stores selling agricultural products.
External links
website Agrifirmwebsite NCR
References
Annual Report Agrifirm 2010Corporate Sustainability Report Agrifirm 2010Score transparency benchmark ministry Economic Affairs and Innovation 2010
Agriculture in the Netherlands
Horticulture
Companies based in North Brabant